Herc season. The Indian MoD’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) yesterday cleared the purchase of six more Lockheed-Martin C-130J Super Hercules medium transports from the US under a foreign military sale. The deal is subject to final clearance by the apex Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before a contract is signed with the US government.
The 77 Squadron birds have been in the headlines recently quite a bit for their role in Uttarakhand flood relief, and the landing at Daulat Beg Oldie, the world’s highest airstrip last month.
My report from two years ago:
Six More C-130Js For IAF In Afterglow Of First Contract
IAF should consider more in numbers,
its versatile bird…..
just 12 is not enough
maybe 18 are good….
Why TOT is not considered? if IAF is so enamoured with Hercules.
Shows the kind of long term planning that goes on in the IAF. That was sarcasm!
'NO NAKED LIGHT' shouldn't it be 'NO NAKED FLAME'. Also within 100 meters is really unrealistic. Does show the rampant ignorance in the forces.
I feel India must buy 6 more C 130 J and also buy at least 4 V 22 osprey for relief work . It is good idea to buy few chinooks as well as upgrade few Mi 26 helos. Similarly develop LUH and mass produce ALH and fully develop the LAH as per the feedback from ah 64 apache helicopter. The need of the hour is fully develop IJT and produce it in sufficient numbers . LCA MK 2 prototype has to be ready by year end fly it by march. I would develop first 20 limited series planes as single and twin seat trainers and then go for the next 20 as MK 2 and and simultaneously develop MK 3 and au revoir to Rafale as it is very expensive to own , produce and extremely expensive to upgrade as just look as the cost of mirage upgrade and life cycle cost of mirage.basic trainer is very easy and can be designed very easily in short time if a serious effort is made. Most of the training is computer simulators and it is high time where dedicated simulators are developed and a company like EA Sport be hired to develop a dedicated software and sufficient further development can be achieved by some Indian companies so that large number of fighter pilots can be developed and trained simultaneously. There is a disconnect between the Air Force and ADA and thus I A F had to buy suboptimal pilutus trainers. I knew first hand skunkworks team was told 10 years in advance as to what was needed and great Kelly Johnson as usual delivered it to them in that time frame. Take example of Darin upgrade that is a great success story and it is high time to repeat the same stories as it must be realized if LCA project fails then all the hope to ever develop the fighter plane would be lost.few dedicated men who love the country can make a difference. I laugh at comments that china has developed so and so but these are all half baked products and they would get better in coming years and the same is valid for LCA and IJT as well as basic trainer. I feel tree legged cheetah like comment are nonsense and IAF should restrict themselves from making such comments.IJT has lost steam due to wrong selection of experimental engine.i strongly feel that jaguar performance at low level would be unmatchable with Honeywell F 125 x engine and F 124 engine which is reliable and proven must have been selected for IJT.
TIMBAKTOO
This is totally worth the money.
One more natural disaster and the price of the craft will have been recovered in the lives saved.
M./
@ Anon 6:33 PM
You got to be kidding ! TOT for 12 birds ?
@ Anon 2:56 PM
I agree that a total of 18 would have been more appropriate – 9 at each hub ( Hindon & Panagarh). Keep 6 operational and hot and ready at all times and 3 more as stand-by.
I agree we need more of this bird considering the fact India never bother to build better transportation mean on NE border. To counter Chinese hostility we need more of this kind of plane. But recently China signed a deal to buy Su-35 fighter plane don't you think India should also ink the deal of buying Rafeal fighter plane. I agree Rafeal no match to Su-35 but India need such plane considering depleting Indian fighter planes.
Sir I just read in the telegraph Kolkata edition that India might be paying almost 50 million $ per helicopter ,more than other countries for the Chinook helicopters is it true if it is y should we pay the Americans so much more for each aircraft
I just can't understand why India is paying almost USD 1.06 Billion for just six aircrafts + supports, where as UAE. had paid just 1.3 Billion for 12 aircrafts + logistical support. Can anybody please explain why we are paying almost double of the price what UAE. is paying ?
The Indian defence Ministry should take up the issue of joint production of this aircraft. The US has already offered to help to produce the aircarft in India. India should replace all the An-32 and Avro with this kind of aircraft. IAF should shelve the plan of replacement of the Avro with ant other aircraft.